Surprises
by slaymaster
Summary: Castle and Beckett's relationship was never going to be straightforward. There would always be surprises. Chapter 4: "I thought we were supposed to be in this, together...If you're having so much trouble writing maybe you should stop following me around"
1. Chapter 1

**Chapter 1**

**A/N: **I started working on this story back in December, and I can't wait to hear what you think about it.

* * *

Kate loved everything about Castle. She loved his creativity and imagination. She loved his sense of humor. But more than anything, she loved how selfless he was and how important family was to him.

She had her arm over his shoulders as they walked from the elevator to his front door, playfully kissing his ear. Rick had the bag of Chinese food in one hand and his keys in the other

"What are we watching tonight?"

"I want you to see the new Joss Whedon movie"

"Really Castle? It's date night and that's the movie you want to watch with your girlfriend?"

Castle feigned a hurt look as he put the key in the lock and opened the door, "But it's supposed to be even better than the Avengers!" Always the gentleman, Rick gestured for Kate to enter the loft first. She did, but was quickly distracted by what she saw to pay any attention to what he was saying. All she knew was that he couldn't be there; he couldn't see this.

"Rick, I think I left my phone in the car, can you get it for me?" She asked, knowing her phone was in her back pocket, but desperate to stop Castle from seeing what could not be unseen. She tried to block the door so he wouldn't be irrevocably damaged. Emphasis on tried.

He paused what he was saying, for a moment before entering the apartment by pushing past her. "I'll get it after we eat because I'm -" he paused as he turned towards the lounge and saw what Kate had wanted to stop him from seeing. His baby girl was having sex on the couch with a tramp stamp he didn't know she had out for all to see.

{Kate&Rick}

Kate wrapped her arms around Rick who was seated at his desk, staring into space. He looked up at her as she leaned down, kissing his forehead. She hated feeling so useless, unable to make him feel better.

"Rick?"

He looked up at her, and the conflict was all over his face. "I'm sorry, I just... it's just... it's been so easy until now."

She knew it was serious when he was lost for words. "It'll be okay, you know that, right?"

He spun slightly in the chair and looked her in the eyes. "I just don't know what to do," he paused, sighing deeply, "Kate, what do I do?"

Kate looked at him, Richard Castle, the man she loved, unsure of what she could say or do. She knew that her words wouldn't make things better; at this point she was pretty sure that only Alexis could make things better. "You can't do anything. This is on Alexis."

She turned, beginning to walk away when Rick spoke again, softer than before. "It's going to get better right?"

"Rick, Alexis is a good kid. She'll be fine," Kate replied as she sat in Castle's lap. "She's an adult and you just have to trust her."

Rick didn't look convinced. "It's just, she's partying _every_ night. She dating that greasy-haired bass player and she got that tattoo. That's not my Alexis!"

Kate looked at Rick in the eye. "She'll come good. Rick, I promise you," pausing momentarily to place a chaste kiss on his lips, "Besides, you can't criticise her on the tattoo. If you're okay with mine, you're okay with hers!"

Rick's eyes darkened. "True. Alexis is an adult. She'll be fine. I have no idea what I was worried about," he said, briskly. "Now Miss Beckett, I _do_ believe that you have some clothes to shed. I mean, if I'm to inspect that tattoo of yours..." He lifted her out of his lap and began leading her to his bedroom. Kate thought she would be glad that he was joking and seemed happier, but she really felt quite worse. She knew Rick had a habit of brooding and hiding his pain, and it never ended well when he did.

But like Rick couldn't do anything to help Alexis, she knew she couldn't help him if he didn't want to be helped.

{Kate&Rick}

On Sunday morning Kate awoke to find Rick missing from his bed. She checked time, assuming she had slept in because it was a rarity for him to be awake first. It was 6:00am, almost to the second. If Castle had still been in bed, she would probably have rolled back over, but the bed was cold and lonely without him.

She found him lying on the couch with his laptop balanced precariously on his chest, a cup of coffee on the floor beside him, typing furiously. Kate sat on the end of the couch and rested her hand on his chest.

"Morning," Rick said, without looking up from the laptop.

"You're up early," she observed.

He turned and looked at her and around the room, noticed that it was light and checked the time. Rick then slammed his laptop shut and placed it on the coffee table, swinging his feet to the ground in the process. "More like up late."

"I didn't realise you got up again."

Rick sighed and Kate knew that it would not be good. "Alexis drunk dialed me three times last night so I decided to just wait out here for her to show up. I figured that she'd need some help getting upstairs based on how she was on the phone."

"What time did she get in?"

"She didn't. Hopefully she'll get in before mother wakes up or she'll ruin birthday brunch."

"Have you tried ringing her?"

"I rang three times, but she wouldn't pick up," Rick said as he placed his head in his hands.

Kate stood and returned to the bedroom, grabbing her phone. As she returned to Rick, she noticed the confused look on his face. "Maybe she's just ignoring you. I know when I was going through my bad girl stage I avoided my parents calls when I could," she explained. "Of course it _was_ easier back then. Maybe she'll answer if I call."

She didn't and Kate was starting to worry (silently, of course, so Rick didn't catch on) when she checked Alexis' facebook page. The girl had been tagged in numerous drunken photos from parties the previous night and posted a surprisingly eloquent, though obviously alcohol tinted, rant about taxi drivers and the subway system only 20 minutes earlier. It was enough to convince the worried father and detective that the young girl was safe. For now at least. Kate wasn't convinced she would be when she returned home.

It wasn't long before Alexis arrived, still drunk. She flung her arms around her father, and Kate, gushing about how great it was to see them. Kate stopped Rick from getting mad at his daughter, convincing him that it would only ruin Martha's birthday. The actress was still asleep in her room upstairs and Kate was convinced that they could sober Alexis up before the reservation.

"Don't worry Rick, I've done this plenty of times myself," she explained as she handed Alexis her second cup of coffee. "It's better than her being hungover."

She wasn't the greatest company during brunch, but Alexis somehow made it through without embarrassing Rick, or herself. Martha enjoyed herself, regaling the table with tales of her misspent youth. The reminiscing continued in the towncar, the elevator and later in the loft, where Alexis stumbled up the stairs to her bedroom. When she was definitely gone, Martha stopped telling stories.

"What's going on Richard?"

Kate and Rick exchanged a look, concern etched over their faces. A few moments past, and Martha looked expectantly at her son. When he didn't speak, Kate spoke for him. "Alexis just had a late night last night"

"If that's what we're calling it" the actress said as she stood and headed upstairs, "I just hope that's all this is"


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

**A/N:** Thanks for the reviews, follows and faves on this story. I really appreciate it because this story means a lot to me as I've spent such a long time working on it. I'm going to try to update 2-3 times a week. For what it's worth, you may think you know where this story is going, but you have no idea. Anyway, enjoy!

* * *

Kate rolled over in bed and stared at the sleeping man. At 5:30am, it was early and she would ordinarily use the time to work out but Kate knew Castle was struggling and she liked seeing him at peace, even if he was asleep. Her workout could wait. Rick tried to hide his pain deflecting her attempts and concern with sex. Their already active sex life went up a notch, though it was different. Rick was different. The sex was angry and frustrated. Kate knew that sex could help ease pain, having channeled her own angst into sexual energy after her mother died, but she couldn't let him continue to ignore his emotions like a four year old. She had done it and it simply didn't work.

The ringing of her mobile brought Kate out of her thoughts. She reached for it on the bedside table, answering quickly so as not to wake Rick.

"Beckett," she answered as she jumped out of the bed, walking towards Rick's office.

{Kate&Rick}

Against her better judgement, Kate woke Castle up so he could tag along to the crime scene. They arrived at the crime scene just before 6:00am, with Lanie already kneeling over the body of a young girl.

"What have we got?"

"Unknown female around 20 years of age. Blunt force trauma to the head. It looks like COD is fall from balcony around three hours ago but I can't be sure until I get her back to the morgue."

"So was she murdered?" Kate asked Lanie as she looked towards Castle, uncharacteristically silent.

"Well she has some fist sized contusions on her abdomen and some scratches on her arms, consistent with an attack which suggests to me that it's homicide, not suicide or an accident, but I'll have a better idea later."

Kate took a moment to take in the surrounds. "This area is full of college kids. Any chance that she lives in the area or was visiting friends?"

"Definitely," she heard Esposito from behind her. "Vic's name is Tiffany Clarke, 22 years old. She was at a party in one of the buildings earlier on."

Kate turned to face the other detectives, "Wait, no one knew she was gone?"

"I can explain that boss" replied Ryan, "Her boyfriend lived down the hall from the party. He said that she told him she was leaving around 1:00am so no one noticed when she was gone."

"Well she obviously didn't get far. Did you get an address for her?"

"Boyfriend says she lives uptown with her parents. Boyfriend's buddy says she's well off. From old money apparently," Ryan answered.

"And yes, we got the address," Espo finished.

"Okay, Castle and I will tell her parents and try and find out if she was into any trouble. Ryan and Espo, you guys can canvas the area. Find out what she did for those two hours." The boys turned almost immediately and headed off to canvas the area. Kate was hoping that they'd find

"I'll give you a call when I've finished my examination" Lanie added.

"Thanks Lanie," Kate said as she and Rick began to walk away. When they were far enough away from the team that their conversation wouldn't be able to be overheard. She reached out to Rick, placing her arm on his shoulder. He always struggled when the victim was a similar age to his daughter and she knew it would be a difficult case for him.

{Kate&Rick}

Meeting with Mr. and Mrs. Clarke was hard for Rick. Hell, Kate found it hard enough and she wasn't even a parent. They told how Tiffany had been the perfect daughter until she fell into the wrong crowd at college. She became almost an entirely different person almost overnight, staying out late and getting into drinking and drugs. They were devastated when Kate broke the news; Tiffany's new boyfriend had seemed to be a relatively good influence and the party the night before, her last party, had been the first one she had gone to in a few weeks. She was cleaning herself up and they had been so proud of her.

Unfortunately for Tiffany Clarke, it was too little, too late.

{Kate&Rick}

As they exited the Clarke's building, the humid air hitting them, Kate put a supportive arm around Rick. "It's not the same Rick."

He stopped them in their tracks, turning her to face him. "You don't know that Beckett!" Her surname sounded foreign on his lips and it stung.

"Rick -"

"No, just stop trying to make it better. You heard those parents up there. That little girl came from a good family. She was smart and she had her life ahead of her. Partying, drinking, drugs, and god knows what else, it's all there. That's going to be my little girl if I can't stop her."

All Kate could do was watch as Rick walked off.

{Kate&Rick}

"So what do you think Lanie? Murder?" Kate asked the medical examiner as they stood over Tiffany's body in the morgue.

"Definitely. There are definite contusions all over her body and I got some skin out from under her fingernails which is a major red flag but the C.O.D. was definitely blunt force trauma due to the fall from unreasonable height."

Kate felt sick just thinking about Alexis in the situation that Tiffany had been in. She took a deep breath, "Lanie, was there any sexual activity?"

Lanie nodded. "I was able to get samples and will be running a rape panel but I'm no t so sure that we'll be able to get a match."

Kate's stomach dropped. "She had a boyfriend so we'll call him in and get a DNA sample"

"With her defensive wounds, it definitely wasn't consensual,"

"The parents said the boyfriend was a good influence" came Rick's voice from the door. Kate turned to look at him and he continued. "I know, it doesn't rule him out but surely it makes it a little less likely?"

"I'll keep you posted when I get tox results"

"Thanks Lanie" Kate said as she left, grabbing Rick's arm on the way out the door.

{Kate&Rick}

"So do you want to explain Castle?" Kate asked as they walked down the hall towards the elevator.

"I called Alexis and told her how I've been worried. She's coming home for dinner tonight and is going to stay the night."

"Well that's good I guess."

"Yeah it is. She mentioned being sorry about what happened with Mother's birthday the other week too"

"Maybe going to brunch with her father and grandmother while still drunk was the wake up call she needed?" Kate joked, although she knew it was still too soon. "I'll stay at my place. You two could do with some father daughter time"

"Thanks Kate," he said as he leaned in and gave her a quick kiss before heading home to prepare.

{Kate&Rick}

As much as he hated abandoning a case, especially when there was exciting detective work to be done, Rick knew that his daughter had to be his priority. He was determined to make his night with Alexis successful. After making plans with his daughter and leaving his girlfriend for the day, he stocked up on the essentials. He made sure that he had popcorn in case they decided on watching movies and chocolate chips in case the night called for pancakes. He even dug out the laser tag equipment because he knew Alexis enjoyed the game, despite her protests that she was too old. All that was left was for him to wait for his daughter to arrive.

Wait he did; Alexis being less than prompt in her arrival. With Alexis living on campus, he really didn't know what she was getting up to regularly and, until recently, he was able to pretend that she was the model student, avoiding the wild college parties that he had relished. After her recent antics, he couldn't pretend any longer.

Rick had always been close with his daughter, a side-effect of being a single father, although as she got older, their bond weakened. Sure, Alexis was still a good girl, but he certainly let things the little things slide by. He pretended not to notice when her cell phone bill was triple the usual price, or when she claimed to be sleeping over at Paige's when he knew the family was out of town. He even pretended to ignore when her hemlines began to rise. He wanted to be a good parent but at the same time he didn't want his daughter to resent him; he was all that she had. So when his mother had brought an intoxicated Alexis home after her graduation party, he wasn't surprised. It was inevitable that one day she'd come home drunk rather than staying with friends. It's also why he let it slide by; the only way for her to realize her behavior wasn't healthy was for her to come to the conclusion herself. Of course, he had other things on his mind that morning and during the days that followed.

Eventually she showed up an hour late. Castle tried to hide his disappointment, but his daughter was making it difficult with her aggressive attitude and monosyllabic responses. All he really wanted was to spend some quality time with his daughter; he wanted to have some fun.

He hadn't wanted to tackle her behavior, but, after an hour of forced interaction, he could't help but ask, "Alexis, what's going on?"


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

_**A/N: Sorry about the lengthy wait with this one guys. Life has been pretty tough lately and writing hasn't been much of a priority. If I wasn't so particular about my writing, I would have posted this a while ago, but I wanted it to be just right. Hope you enjoy**_

The case turned out to be a drunken accident. Tiffany broke up with her boyfriend around midnight and he tried to convince her otherwise, forcing himself on her. He made a full confession. She then went to another friend's apartment in a nearby building where she knocked back close to half a bottle of vodka and got high on anything she could find. She was on the balcony smoking a joint of weed when she had fallen to her death. Her friend was so wasted that she hadn't realised that Tiffany left.

Generally Kate was relieved to find a death was an accident rather than murder but this time it hurt; it hit close to home with everything Alexis was putting Rick through. It could just as easily be Alexis.

With the case closed, there was nothing Kate wanted to do more than go back to the loft and eat take-out with Castle, but he was having his bonding night with Alexis. She had to settle for freezer lottery and a bath - alone. After scoffing down some freezer-burnt casserole, Kate had just stepped into the tub when her mobile started ringing. She reached for the phone and answered without looking at the caller id, assuming that it would be a body drop.

"Beckett"

"_I'm so done with that girl! I've done so much for her; I've given up so much because I wanted to give her a normal childhood and a good start in life. This isn't how she's supposed to act"_

"Rick, what happened?"

"_Alexis. She was stoned. I've let her destroy her life too long. I just. I need you. Now."_

"I'm on my way" Kate said, already toweling off as she grabbed clothes to wear. Rick needed her.

{Kate&Rick}

Kate got across town as quickly as possible. As she reached the door of the loft, she reached for the key, but instead found that the door was unlocked.

"Do I need to give you a talk about safety babe?" she said almost playfully as she entered the loft. When she saw the mess on the couch that was Rick, She quickly shut and locked the door before rushing to be by his side. "Rick?"

He looked up at her, his eyes red, "She's gone Kate."

She let the words hang in the air for a minute before softly speaking. "What happened?"

He took a deep breath and Kate couldn't help but notice that he looked like a young child. "She was stoned. I don't know what and I'm not sure I care," he paused, letting the words sink in. "I told her I couldn't support her if she was going to throw her life away. I told her I'd help her but I refuse to finance drugs. I thought she'd stay but she left."

Kate had no idea what to say, how to help, so she did the only thing she could. She wrapped an arm around him and let him cry. "It's going to be okay Rick"

He didn't correct her, even though both knew it wouldn't be.

{Kate&Rick}

She didn't sleep that night. Her body craved sleep more than anything; her bones weary from the day; her mind exhausted but each time Kate let her eyes droop, images of Tiffany Clark's lifeless body on the sidewalk flashed through her mind. Rick had fallen asleep next to her on the couch, her arms still around his shoulders. She didn't want to sleep so she watched him instead; feeling his lungs expand with each breath.

The next morning was worse. He was in pain and, more than anything, Kate hated that she couldn't take his pain; she couldn't make it better. She had gotten ready for work while he was in the shower, although she was tempted to take the day off. She couldn't help but worry about him; Alexis meant the world to him and she had walked out of his life as if she had never cared at all. He had seemed quieter than usual but, just as she was calling the precinct to inform them she wouldn't be in, he strolled out of the bedroom, fully dressed.

"Do you mind if I come into the precinct today?"

She put the phone down on the kitchen bench and smiled at him, "No, I don't mind. Not at all."

{Kate&Rick}

The next few weeks passed quickly and uneventfully. To most people, Rick seemed his usual self but, to a select few, he was quieter and more withdrawn than usual. He tried to hide the extent of his pain but he had never been good at not wearing his feelings on his sleeve. While he was certainly concerned about his daughter, his anger seemed to overshadow a great deal of this. True to his word, Rick cancelled his daughter's credit card, but that was the extent of his actions in cutting his daughter off. He knew that he needed to show her that there would be consequences for her actions.

At some point in the days after Alexis had left, he called Meredith who was immediately on a flight to New York. Castle had told her she would have to stay at a hotel, but Kate had insisted she stay at the loft, given the circumstances. She was not too happy with the idea, but she didn't want to make Alexis' rebellion about her own insecurities. Meredith's visit was a short one; her agent had called with a role in a popular procedural that _wasn't_ that of a dead body and Rick had insisted she take the role. There wasn't anything either of them could do anyway.

It wasn't that Alexis was missing. She was still making withdrawals from her account and she hadn't bothered to change her phone number. A few days after the incident at the loft Kate had paid a visit to Alexis' dorm. She wasn't there so Kate left a note with her room mate. It didn't say much, but it assured Alexis that no matter what happened, Beckett would always be there for her, no matter when or where. She wasn't expecting a call back but she was glad for the opportunity to check out the people who lived with Alexis.

The fact was that Alexis was still going to classes and she was still okay. They were all worried, but everyone, especially Kate, who had a similar phase in her own youth, knew that the appeal that the partying lifestyle initially had would soon fade and that Alexis would come to her senses.

{Kate&Rick}

He wasn't sleeping. Each night he tossed and turned and Kate often awoke to a cold and empty bed, finding him writing in his office or watching television in the lounge. She wished that he would sleep, but she understood the reluctance. She knew he wanted to be there if Alexis were to come home. He wanted to be awake in case his daughter called. He was concerned, and understandably so. She did what she could to try and get him to sleep more. Their active sex life continued and, if it were possible, became even moreso as she attempted to lure him into sleep. It worked, just not on him.

Life went on. Cases came up and crimes were solved. The days and weeks went by as if nothing was different. Alexis' disappearance from their lives was unspoken but always there. They were reminded of her absence from their lives on a daily basis, but Rick was determined to stay strong. He didn't want her to think her behaviour was okay and, while she had been through a lot, he didn't want her to think that her actions could be justified. While Kate tried not to weigh in on his parenting decisions, given that she wasn't, and never would be, Alexis' mother, she had to admit he was right.

{Kate&Rick}

Kate was pissed at herself. _Just once won't hurt_. What the hell was she thinking? If she knew anything about the situation she was possibly in, it would hurt, and a great deal at that.

"Kate?" His voice jolted her out of her thoughts. She blinked twice and turned, focusing her eyes on his.

"Huh?"

He looks confused and concern is in his voice, which is exactly the last thing she wants. "Uh, I've got to go." He noticed the questioning look on her face, quickly adding, "That meeting? With Black Pawn?" Of course. She felt awful for forgetting about it, though it wasn't like she didn't have other, more important things on her mind. That was the point though, wasn't it?

"Sorry, slipped my mind."

"I'll see you tonight?"

She hesitated. They weren't officially living together, but she could count the number of nights they had spent apart in the past year on one hand (excluding his book tour and the trip she made for her cousin's funeral). "Um, sure. I might be late though, you know, this case and all," gesturing at the messy board in front of her.

He leaned in for a chaste kiss, wary of his surroundings. Their relationship may have been public knowledge, but he knew that Kate wasn't a fan of airing her personal life out for all to see, especially at work. She appreciated it. "Tonight then."

She should have known better. She was old enough to know better. _Just once won't hurt_. God, wasn't that exactly the opposite of everything she knew?

She felt like an idiot. She wasn't _that_ girl. Sure, she had been wild, but she had never been stupid or reckless; she had never risked a relationship like this. No, she had never been that girl, until now.


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4**

Kate was still in shock later that day. She had forgotten her pill one morning, the morning Tiffany Clarke's body had been found. Of course, in the weeks that followed she had probably forgotten half a dozen times in dealing with the fallout from Alexis' mistakes, but when she looked at her calendar, that was the date that made the most sense. She was two weeks late which, in and of itself, wouldn't necessarily suggest anything, except it did. She knew that it did. Each time she had rushed out of the house without first taking her pill she told herself that just once wouldn't hurt. It served her right.

Of course, she didn't know for sure. No, she needed a test to know for sure. It was still early, too early to leave work without a good excuse. If she had a lead on the case she would use it as an excuse to leave, buying a test on the way. Of course, there were no leads.

She considered asking Captain Gates for permission to leave early. In the few years she had been at the 12th, Gates had opened up and become less of the Internal Affairs hardass they had first met. Of course, talking to Gates would entail spilling the proverbial beans, if there were any to spill, and she wasn't so sure she wanted her boss knowing. No, Kate couldn't tell her boss, especially when she didn't know what the future held.

{Kate&Rick}

With no leads, Kate let the boys leave at 5:30pm, telling them that she was going to stay late to try and make sense of the little evidence they had.

It had seemed like a straightforward case. Cheating husband dead but the wife had a solid alibi. Rock solid. She was a lecturer at NYU and had been teaching a class, something her 350 students were all too happy to verify.

His body had been found with the word "homewrecker" carved into his arm, but Kate was beginning to think the cheating actually had nothing to do with the victims death.

At 6:45pm she shut down her computer, grabbed her bag and left the bullpen. She had other things on her mind and starring at the murder board was not going to help. She had to share her news.

{Kate&Rick}

Kate stood outside Ricks loft, eager to share the news. She wasn't sure exactly how she would tell him, but she imagined what would come next. They'd rush to the nearest pharmacy and buy boxes of tests, taking care to hide their purchases from any paparazzi. They'd rush home and she would drink glass after glass of water before peeing on a stick. They would sit nervously together, waiting for the results. That's how the next hour of her life would play out, she was sure of it.

Kate took a deep breath as she let herself in using her key. Rick was seated watching the television and looked up, surprised to see her over so early.

"I thought you were staying late?"

She grinned at him as she walked closer, "Case had no leads." she paused, sitting besides him on the couch,"Besides, I wanted to hear about the meeting."

"It went okay. I asked them to push my deadline for the new book."

She stopped in her tracks. Rick always complained about deadlines but in the seven years she had known him, he had never pushed his deadlines officially. "Wait, what?"

"I've just been having trouble writing with everything that has been happening." Kate was in shock, especially as he still didn't know everything that was going on. If he couldn't cope now, how would he be with the news that he was possibly going to be a father again?

"Why didn't you say something?"

Rick took a deep breath, "you've been so good with the whole Alexis thing, I didn't want to burden you more"

That felt like a punch to the stomach. "Um, what? You didn't want to burden me? Rick, we are supposed to be two adults in a relationship, we are supposed to tell each other things, we are supposed to ask the other for help occasionally," she yelled, feeling slightly like a hypocrite.

"Kate, I'm sorry, but Alexis isn't your responsibility and I feel bad for putting all that on you"

She was furious. They were supposed to be a team, working together, not like this.

She stood, seething, "I thought we were supposed to be in this, together." He really would have no idea what it was she was talking about. No, they weren't in it together, that was certainly clear to Kate.

As she stood at the front door of the loft, holding back tears, she looked back at Castle who looked shattered. "If you're having so much trouble writing maybe you should stop following me around"

{Kate&Rick}

As she walked into the late-night pharmacy, Kate thought about everything that was possibly going on. Kate hated this entire situation. She'd never talked about kids with Rick. Until recently it was a given that he wanted more and she'd always figured that she would have kids at some point. She hadn't really thought about it much though, and probably wouldn't have given it much thought before Rick. It was an unspoken given, although Castle had made his thoughts on the matter clear of late. Not only that, but he'd made it clear that they weren't a team. He didn't confide in her, and she felt like she had to even the score. It was childish and petty, but Kate wanted to know and she didn't feel like pretending everything was okay with Castle; she didn't want him to think it was okay to hide from her.

She reached the aisle she needed, the one that had pregnancy tests, condoms and tampons. She had always felt it was a bit of a cruel joke to those who were possibly pregnant unexpectedly. She had been right. It felt like one cruel joke. Kate was over her head as she examined the options available. There were ones that came up with lines, ones that changed colour and others that had words. The kind that said 'pregnant' or 'not pregnant' were on special so she grabbed a box and headed to the checkout. She refused to be a cliche, doing test after test in the hope that the result would change. No. She would do one of the two tests in the box. She didn't need to try and fool herself into believing the results would change. She'd simply take the evidence as she found it.

Kate was tempted to grab some other supplies before she left the store but was determined not to be a cliche, attempting to hide a pregnancy test in the midst of shampoo and moisturiser. It didn't really matter to her if a teenage store worker knew she had a pregnancy test. No. She was an adult and would act as such.

She paid for the test and buried it in her handbag before heading out into the streets. It was 7pm and all she wanted to do was go home and find out what the rest of her life had in store.


End file.
